Forever
by guiltymisfit2
Summary: Closing his eyes gently, he remembers her as if it was the first time. And then he smiles.
1. Prologue- First Love

**_No, this trick won't work...How on earth are you ever going to explain in terms of chemistry and physics so important a biological phenomenon as first love? - Albert Einstein_**

* * *

Sasuke Uchiha wasn't a sentimental person but there was something about this certain keepsake that he couldn't get himself to throw away. He was currently cleaning out the Uchiha compound as his wife Sakura was quickly nearing her due date. He had to make sure everything was ready before the baby came.

Said women made her way down the staircase, hand on her back as she sported a healthy pregnant glow. Sasuke gingerly smiled at the women he had found himself loving more and more every day. Seeing that her gaze was on his most treasured item he looked up at her with a cautious gaze. He had known her to be excessively violent; even more so, during the past eight and a half months. Surprisingly she gave him a gentle smile and placed the item back into the box.

"I understand." She smiled at him, although he could see a bit of sorrow in her normally vibrant jade eyes.

He knew she blamed only herself for him not being able to love her fully, but it wasn't her fault, no matter how much she thought it was. He had gotten softer over the years he silently mused as he looked at her stomach and lightly kissed it; letting her know he was in it until the end.

He liked his life now; it was everything he had thought it would be, albeit with a few changes. There were times when he wondered how differently things would have been had _she_ been with him instead, but for the most part he could not complain.

Although he did reckon it's true what they say.

First loves do last a lifetime.


	2. The Beginning

**Chapter 1 – The Beginning**

_There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness.-Friedrich Nietzsche_

* * *

**_2 years ago..._**

He could handle the stares, but the whispers… those were another thing. It wasn't unusual for him to receive such attention, no; he had always drawn attention to himself even when he wasn't considered a world class criminal. What was unusual however was the sight of him actually stepping foot outside of his sacred Uchiha grounds. He had promised himself that he wouldn't let the crowd get to him but it was becoming increasingly annoying every time he decided to show his face. One would think after he had helped win the war that they would let bygones be bygones. It wasn't like he had harmed anybody who didn't deserve it, well, not that he could think of any himself.

He stood tall has he struggled to keep his usual nonchalant demeanour in check; his anger threatening to slip through the cracks of his well-built walls. He would never let them see any emotion. Even though he had his revenge, he still held quite a bit of hate for Konoha for what they had put him through. They had turned him into the monster they constantly addressed him as.

His destination was clear as he made it towards the Hokage tower, being summoned by his old Sensei. The old pervert had exceeded Tsunade after the war much to Naruto's chagrin and now held the title of the strongest shinobi in the villiage. Although he could understand why; if Kakashi was able to hold his own with the jinchuuriki, withstand being trapped inside Obito Uchiha's body for the majority of the war and still make it _in time_ to help his former squad deliver the finishing blow; then by all means he deserved it.

Stopping by the office doors he heard the usual argument of Naruto and Sakura taking place right on schedule. There wasn't a day they hadn't fought; it was a bit strange to him though. They acted and treated him as if he had been there all along and he wasn't sure if he was grateful for it or pissed off.

Entering with a sigh he glanced at Kakashi to see he was wearing his trademark mask; albeit this one had the kanji for _'fire'_ scrawled across the front in visually appealing calligraphy. His one eye was closed giving off the impression of a smile, granting there was a trace of tiredness etched into his darkened iris when it opened.

"Sasuke so nice of you to join the real world," He extended as a greeting, earning a grunt from the person in question.

"Cut to the chase Kakashi. What do you want?" Sasuke barked slightly aggravated. He, unlike his teammates, was the only one who didn't refer to Kakashi as 'Sensei', that was a title he had lost the privilege of bearing long ago. Still that didn't hinder his recognition of his former teacher, he still held him in high regards but not in the same naïve way he did when he was a child. Childish things were of no use to him anymore, he had experienced way too much to think that way.

Rolling his visible eye Kakashi pulled a scroll from his jonin jacket (he had refused to wear a traditional cloak) and skillfully unrolled it, its contents now naked for their eyes to behold.

"This is an invitation from ANBU, to skip the formalities' all I'm going to say is that this is a great opportunity for all of you and also say that I'm proud."

"Oi, Sensei!" Naruto called out with his usual vigour. "Are you serious?! Tell me more!"

It seemed that the Uzumaki was still the same person even after the war, though his appearance did become sharper, mimicking that of his Father's. Sasuke could say very straight forward, without a doubt in his heterosexuality that Naruto was in fact attractive.

"Well Naruto if you would just shut-up maybe Sensei _could _explain!" Sakura chided as she shook Naruto quite forcibly to get him to behave. Times like these were when Sasuke was most grateful for the rosy haired kunoichi.

She too, had also grown in appearance; he admitted; opting to keep her hair shorter as a symbol of a promise she made to herself long ago, something he respected. She also bore the mark of her former Master, Tsunade on her prominent forehead, although hers seemed to be a little bigger in size. As far as maturity went she was still the same Sakura, but with a few restrictions. Now she could control her emotions with ease. Now she had finally mastered Shinobi saying #25.

"All of the other shinobi from your class are also being encouraged to take the exams. It will be just like old times!"

Hearing this, the trio visibly tensed. Sasuke could practically feel Naruto and Sakura's strain to not turn around and look at him. Annoyed, a scowl managed to find root on his face and stayed there as he silently cursed his teammates; they were just like the villagers.

"Now what will it be…Yes?" Kakashi eyed each of his former students with what seemed like hope; a hint of scrutiny followed his normally placid gaze as his eyes landed on Sasuke expectantly. "Or no,"

"Sensei I don't think all of us ar-

"I'll do it." Sasuke interjected effectively stopping Sakura from speaking. He knew what they thought of him; but Orochimaru was long gone and no longer a threat to the village. Surely they didn't expect to see him again, he didn't like killing thrice. He preferred that those who died by his hand stayed dead.

"Are you sure?"

He scoffed at his Sensei's display of worry; he had gotten over his obsessional mannerism years ago after the war had ended. Now he just let things fly over his head, not daring to get too attached.

"I'm positive."

"Alright then," Kakashi's famous one-eyed smile was ever-present on his face as he handed each of them separate scrolls he also had hidden in his seemingly endless jacket.

Opening up his scroll Sasuke realized that there were names of people he scarcely knew written on it and frowned. Why would their names be on his scroll?

"Oi Kakashi." He looked up from the text on the parchment and towards his former Sensei. "Why are there names underneath my own? I thought you said this was a test for ANBU."

"It is." He smiled again, effectively annoying the vexed Uchiha.

"Then why are there names accompanying my own?"

"Yeah Sensei, why?" Naruto seconded, confusion littering his face.

Kakashi exasperatedly sighed and tsked at them as if they were children; something which greatly upset Sasuke. "Because it's ANBU and in ANBU people are put into teams to help them finish the mission properly and effectively."

"Then why are the names on my scroll not Sasuke-kun and Naruto's?" Sakura asked equally perplexed. Sasuke had to admit he was wondering the same thing. These two were the only people he wanted to work with, he would refuse anyone else.

"Because you three are an all attack based team and would therefore be unbalanced, you wouldn't have quite the amount of flow you would if you were placed on the same team as the people named on your individual scrolls."

Still not understanding anything Sasuke was almost appreciative for Naruto as he spoke up and said the words he refused to. "I still don't get what you're trying to say."

"These are the people you'll be taking the test with. The teams are made based on who would fit together best, skills, jutsu, and personality wise. And before you ask; no you cannot change your teammates." Kakashi deadpanned shooting each of them a knowing look. "That is all, you three may leave."

Turning around to exit Sasuke was stopped as Kakashi's voice called out to him. "Actually Sasuke, I would like to have a word with you."

Manuvering his body to allow his teammates exit he turned towards the Hokage with a calculating gaze, he didn't like where this was headed.

"I just wanted to say that you should definitely take this test. I saw the look on your face and you shouldn't give up ANBU it would be good for you. Trust me."

"And why should I listen to you?" Sasuke defiantly queried. Kakashi was definitely acting strange and it irked him a bit, why did he sound so dreary?

Shooting him a look of apathy and authority Kakashi meet Sasuke's intense gaze perfectly.

"Because you will not become Hokage, that's Naruto's rightful place no matter how much you believe it isn't."

Silently choleric Sasuke rushed out of the room not bothering to address the concerned calls from his teammates, one's who had bothered to wait for him.

Taking to the rooftops to avoid the village below he made it to his home located in the Uchiha district and angrily thrashed the scroll on the counter in his kitchen, enraged.

Who did he think he was? Even though he was the Hokage he had no right to speak to him in such a condescending manner.

Making his way towards his bedroom, he stopped dead in his tracks and turned around making his way back to where he discarded the scroll. Clenching it in his hand; a new concept etched into his mind he looked at the scroll slightly wrinkled within his grasp and read the names aloud.

"Nara Shikamaru and Hyuuga Hinata,"

He now understood.

He would make all of Konoha worship his name, he would force the village to acknowledge him, he would show Kakashi, he _would _become Hokage. This was his new fixation. He smiled a crooked grin.

He had almost forgotten just how good ambition tasted.

* * *

**At first it was supposed to be set in reality but alas this is not set in an AU universe, I want to write epic fight scenes and come up with cool new jutsu!**

**First of all I want to thank those of you who left sweet reviews! Don't worry stuff will be revealed in due time, I have a clear goal set in my mind. Everything is in Sasuke's perspective and yes he is a little bit different than in the Prologue but don't worry he will definitely change and Hinata will appear next chapter! Yay!**

**Just a forewarning, this probably won't have a happy ending, just a little warning to readers who want to pursue this story. My goal is to make everyone who reads this cry, even myself. **


	3. Emotion

**Chapter 2- Emotion**

_"One can be the master of what one does, but never of what one feels." ― Gustave Flaubert_

* * *

He had been planning carefully to start a family after the war.

After killing Orochimaru, after getting rid of his hatred for Itachi, after finally being able to move on, he told himself. That was his plan, but it was much too soon foiled with disappointment when he found no one worthy; not that they liked him all that much either. Then again, like was an understatement-terrified. Petrified to the point of death, and that was where hatred grew stronger. That was where he had, once again, begun to despise his home.

Konoha had destroyed another childhood dream, ripping it away from its guarded innocence and thrusting it towards the reality that was life.

His life.

Sasuke never woke up deciding that he wanted to become Hokage randomly. It was a possibility he pondered on heavily when he sat alone on grassy fields when no one dared to bother him; it was what he thought of as he pushed himself past boundaries, training until there were no more holding him back until his power, like the sky, was limitless.

It was his duty to change this village; he had to for the sake of the Uchiha. For the sake of his brother. For his own sake. He would surely hold only himself responsible if what happened to him were to happen again to someone else.

So when Kakashi tore apart that dream, stating bluntly that Sasuke was never going to be Hokage, it didn't just hurt. It was more than that; it was a reminder of the hate the village held for him, it served to show that even after all his efforts, he wouldn't be remembered for his heroic deeds, but rather as what he once was.

An S-rank criminal.

He hated it. He hated the feeling of failure.

That was why his goal was clear.

Glancing down at the scroll he held in his palms, he quickly memorized his destination before beginning his short journey: Training Ground number 5.

He headed outside, feeling slightly tired from yet another sleepless night. He hadn't always been an insomniac, and even though he had come to terms with the traumatizing excuse of childhood and early adolescence, the images still plagued him. His petrifying dreams were ominous and disconcerting, often leaving him questioning his mind's lucidity and causing him to wake up in a cold sweat, heartbeat racing far, far ahead of him while he struggled to make sense and rationalize what was real.

Stifling a yawn, he wasn't surprised to find the obnoxious bright shades of blonde and bubble-gum pink hair waiting for him on his front step.

Sasuke gritted his teeth in annoyance. Those two, besides Kakashi, were the only ones allowed to even breathe on Uchiha grounds, let alone come near his own house.

"Good Morning Sasuke- kun!" Sakura cheerily sang as she lifted herself gracefully from the steps, offering a bubbly smile.

"Mornin' Teme," Naruto echoed with his signature cat-like grin. Sasuke responded to with a nod, preferring not to waste his breath. He especially didn't like wasting energy he didn't have.

Falling into step, the trio walked in what seemed like synchronization as they maneuvered through Konoha's busy dirt paths. And, much to his annoyance and dismay, people were gazing at them in a combination of terror and awe, just as they always did. Honestly, the time that they've spent together should've worn off any and all shock the villagers had for them.

But, of course, their efforts throughout the war were never forgotten, and people had preferred to keep a safe distance away from the three; something that both Naruto and Sakura absolutely loathed. Sasuke, on the other hand, merely regarded it with indifference.

"I don't get why they're so…nervous. We're still the same citizens," Naruto pouted, speaking louder than necessary. Sasuke nearly snorted.

They weren't normal by any standards at all whatsoever. They were far from mundane, and they most certainly weren't just average shinobi:

They were three ninjas with powers equivalent to sages, trained by the three legendary Sannin. They knew the secrets of power, the knowledge that came with hard work, all coming down from their predecessors before them; hell, they even acted like their respective teachers. But the villagers didn't notice that…no, they saw three notorious, overly-strong young adults who could easily crush them with a single flick of the wrist if they dared to cross their paths. They were the new Sannin, durable, valiant. Sasuke prided himself with this thought, oddly enough, and he couldn't fathom why his other two teammates were ashamed of themselves.

"Why don't you scream a little louder? I don't think Sunagakure quite heard you," Sakura rolled her eyes sardonically as she nudged the blonde good naturedly, almost sending him tumbling head first towards the ground. An innocent smile spread on her lips as she let out a little giggle, "Whoops, guess I don't know my own strength!"

"Sakura-chan that's frightening..." Naruto spoke frantically as he began rubbing the large, angry bump that had grown on his head, inching closer to Sasuke's side. When he began hiding behind the brooding young man, Sasuke felt it was much harder to stop the urge from hurting the blonde himself.

"So?" Sakura arched a perfect brow, planting her hands on her hips. "Whose names did you get on your scrolls, anyways?"

"Oh!" Naruto bounced excitedly, an annoyingly bright smile plastered on his face. Sasuke quietly wondered if the blonde's face ever got tired from stretching his mouth into that large, wide smile.

"I got Ino and Shino, I don't really remember their last names though…"

Sakura shook her head at her clueless teammate's obliviousness hopelessly. She had become affable over the years and was hardly ever bothered by the asinine sentences that escaped Naruto's mouth.

She brightened up visibly. "Well, Kiba, Choji and I are going to be a team. I guess I've got my work cut out for me huh?"

Sasuke was choosing to tune out the vast majority of the conversation until he felt two, very strong stares boring into his school.

He blinked twice. "What?"

"Who did you get Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked curiously, trying her hardest not to seem eager to hear. Naruto, on the other hand, was more than keen, anticipating. "Yeah, Sasuke, I was wondering the same thing…who's gonna be on your team?"

"A Nara and a Hyuuga," He retorted flatly, not bothering to give first names.

Sakura rolled her eyes at Naruto's dumbfounded look, spelling it out for him. "Shikamaru is on his team,"

"But what about the Hyuuga?! We know plenty of those," Naruto asked annoyingly.

Sasuke huffed quietly as he shot an icy look at them, "Hyuuga Hinata."

The brooding young man didn't notice both of his teammates stop dead in their tracks before sharing an unsure look.

"W-wait!" Naruto called after him, catching the avenger's shoulder to stop him from going any further. Sasuke stared distastefully at the hand that was gripping him tightly.

"…Hinata? Are you sure?" Sakura asked, worry creasing her forehead and knitting her brows together.

"Yes, I know that's her name," Sasuke jerked off of Naruto's hand roughly, feeding both his teammates a harsh scowl. He turned on his heel, glad that he was leaving them behind.

"Sasuke-san, wait! Let's all go there together!"

The avenger cursed himself silently when he accidentally made eye contact after recognizing the voice of one of the people he despised the most.

Sai was running towards the team eagerly, a huge smile on his face as he waved his hand in the air as if they were best friends.

Sasuke sighed dejectedly as he came to a halt, waiting for the other members of Team Seven to catch up to him. Looking at the trio, he felt mildly annoyed with himself when he realized he seemed displaced in comparison to the others.

Those three looked like they belonged; they mixed perfectly and didn't even realize it, Naruto, Sakura and, unfortunately, his replacement: Sai.

He remembered the first time he met the apathetic ROOT member. He had been claiming to also be a part of Team Seven, a concept that had been almost laughable to him back then. But when they had come back after the war, specifically when Sasuke came back, he had witnessed what this copy had said to be true. He was a member of their team; it was like they didn't miss him at all. In their warped minds, it was like Sasuke had always been there in the form of Sai and, unfortunately, it irritated him endlessly.

Sasuke didn't like Sai one bit; he was nothing but a fraud in his eyes, a poser masquerading as himself. So when he caught sight of the trio conversing and walking together in his direction, he turned around and merely walked away, ignoring their hopeless attempts of getting him to wait.

He didn't have time to spare for such trivial matters.

Making it to the fifth training ground, he found that his team had been waiting upon his arrival. It was a new concept for him; usually he was the one always kept waiting not the other way around.

He was surprised to find the Nara wearing a lucid gaze similar to that of Kakashi and even more surprised to find that the Hyuuga had a small smile on her pale face.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed as his mouth creased into a frown.

If these were his teammates then he was definitely not impressed.

* * *

"So you've finally decided to make it," Nara Shikamaru teased indolently, his back slightly hunched and his hands placed in his pockets gave of the impression of a lethargic nature. Sasuke's stare turned hard at his lazy form; he didn't and never did appreciate laziness.

Looking onwards towards the woman, Hyuuga Hinata, he caught her pale and eerily reflective eyes staring at him, flitting quickly away as onyx bore deeply into them admonishingly. A slight shiver dancing through her shoulders as she nervously began playing with her long, silky hair. If there was any emotion Sasuke was good at identifying, it was fear and she was definitely, but not surprisingly, afraid of him.

At a loss for words at the pathetic excuse his new team was, a small sigh managed to escape his lips. His goal began to seem so far away. These two were an unpleasant disappointment and he wasn't sure if they would even make it to ANBU ranks. He could begin to see his dream floating farther away from his grasp, his fingertips not yet given the chance to graze it.

"Are you done Uchiha-san?" Shikamaru quipped, smirking. He pulled Sasuke out of his reverie. Sasuke glared icily at him, narrowing his eyes, daring him to say another word. Never in his life had he felt so affronted. The Nara obviously harboured some kind of hatred for him and was yet another person to add to his rapidly growing list of judgmental shinobi. No matter how hard he tried, his actions, in their eyes, would never be justified.

And it pissed him off.

They had no idea what it was like for him.

He rolled his eyes and sneered, not bothering to formulate an actual response as he crossed his arms, directing a heavy glower towards the sluggish jonin; he hated him already.

Shifting away his attention from the Nara, onyx eyes scanned over the training grounds. He had vaguely recognized it, the memory just scratching at the surface of his mindscape. It wasn't until he glanced back towards his new teammates and noticed Shikamaru's placid gaze on him did it hit him.

Itachi used to have that same gaze. This was where he would often watch Itachi train. Whether this was a coincidence or some cruel bout of fate he wasn't sure. Just to make sure he was in fact correct, Sasuke walked towards a familiar rock sitting in the middle of tall and heavily marked trees, broken and battered target boards hanging shamelessly on their fronts.

He ignored the feeling of his teammate's eyes on his back and hesitantly reached out to touch the rock, feeling its jagged surface for any indication…

The avenger nearly gave up until he felt the recognizable groove of a name underneath his fingertips. Bending down to get a closer look, he almost smiled at the sight as a familiar rush of warmth breathed through him.

_Uchiha._

On the rock, the rugged image of a dragon, unmistakably carved by his brother's kunai, still in the same place he remembered it to be almost sixteen years ago. The carving, although not especially appealing, was still something that would catch the wandering eye and wonder upon in awe. Jagged, uneven lines marred the surface, detailing each scale, each spike even the proud Uchiha crest that was expertly carved on its chest; engraved underneath like a caption, their family name.

Sasuke closed his eyes, fingertips grazing over the dragon carefully, treading over each and every detail as memories flooded him.

* * *

_"Onii-san! We have to hurry home or else Okaasan will be very angry," the young Uchiha whined as he tugged at his older brother's sleeve fruitlessly, his weak arms not strong enough to deter the large, muscular arm his brother had._

_"Sasuke, if you keep this up, you'll ruin the carving." Itachi didn't even look at him, but Sasuke could tell by the tone of his smooth, baritone voice that he wasn't ready to leave yet._

_Onyx eyes blinked over the sholder of the elder shinobo. "You like drawing, aniki?" Was this yet another one of his brother's seemingly endless talents? He huffed as his cheeks grew large in jealousy, why was his brother so…gifted? It made him look bad!_

_"And…there, it's finally finished." Itachi's eyes merely glittered as a soft smile spread across his lips. He turned to look at his younger brother, ushering him closer. "What do you think, Sasuke?"_

_Sasuke pouted enviously, but turned towards the beaten up rock nonetheless. A small rush of joy had traveled through his body, unearthing a big smile_

_So, his brother wasn't an artist after all._

_"Itachi- nii it's ugly. What's it even supposed to be?" Sasuke asked innocently as he turned his head left and right trying to find the right angle to see what strange object Itachi had drawn._

_"It's a dragon." Itachi smiled, unfazed by his little brother's criticism. "It's nearly impossible to carve with kunai, let alone into a rock."_

_"Oh yeah? I bet I could do it!" Sasuke reached out excitedly, grabbing the ninja tool from his brother's larger, calloused, hand._

_Placing his hand onto the marred surface of the rock for balance, he tightly gripped the kunai as he struggled to get even one nick in, his face contorting in concentration. Finally after what seemed like a long battle between artist and canvas, using all of his strength, a breakthrough was finally made: Gripping the handle even tighter, Sasuke began vigorously bombarding the rock with scratches and bruises until he had stopped in contentment. There carved beautifully on the rock in front of him was his family crest, the Uchiha fan._

_"Aniki! Look, look at what I made!" Sasuke excitedly called out, pride surging through him that he forgot the vicious material he was using was exacting it's revenge._

_"Ouch!"Sasuke looked down to see a gash that ran through his palm, small pearly beads of blood forming. His eyes watered over. "Nii-san, it hurts!"_

_"Foolish little brother," Itachi tsked and sighed as he bent down to eye-level with him, holding Sasuke's smaller palm in his. "You must learn that with pride, you must also be modest,"_

_Itachi gently wiped off the blood, treating it gently with salve before wrapping it up in bandage._

_"I just wanted to make something nice…" Sasuke looked away from his brother in shame, he was extremely embarrassed, thanking Kami that his Father had not been there to see him cry. He looked up as his older brother walked back towards the rock and picked up the offending weapon, placing it back inside its pouch._

_He looked on in a mixture of fascination and jealously at chakra wrapped around Itachi's finger as the elder man crouched, his back facing Sasuke, shielding his view. Nodding his head in approval he beckoned Sasuke over to see for himself. Excited the boy ran almost tripping over his own feet, forgetting his pain. He inhaled with awe._

_On the rock stood a dragon with the clan crest on its chest, the name Uchiha neatly engraved with his brother's chakra standing adjacent to it. It wasn't something that could be seen unless you really looked and that made Sasuke happy._

_Well, that and the fact that he was finally better than his brother at something. Admiring the carving, he silently vowed to never speak a word of it; he now had something only he and Itachi shared, something no one else but the two of them were aware of._

_"Are you coming?" Itachi called, stopping to look over his shoulder. Sasuke's head snapped up. "W-wait for me!"_

_The serene smile on his elder brother's face was evident as the two walked together back home._

* * *

Removing his hand from the rock and regaining his composure, Sasuke slowly got up and with an air of indifference and walked back towards his teammates. Pausing to give him a skeptical look, Shikamaru pulled out a scroll from his pocket and handed it to him.

"This is the information scroll regarding the test; it explains everything that will happen over the course of the week."

Raising a sharp brow Sasuke looked from the scroll in his hands to Shikamaru, "Week?"

"The test is for a week, Uchiha-san." Onyx eyes hardened over the timid girl that had spoken to him softly, almost fearfully.

"Is that all?" He asked, not bothering thank them. When there was no sign of them answering he pocketed the scroll and turned around. "Then I'll leave first."

Not making an effort to bid his teammates farewell he walked away, a million thoughts ran through his mind.

Having to meet his new teammates at Training Ground number 5 wasn't a coincidence, of that he was sure, The secret he shared with his brother was no longer hidden and the only person he could think of that would arrange for this to happen was Kakashi. Though what purpose it served was beyond him.

He wasn't sure what to feel at the moment. He was angry and annoyed yet strangely serene at the same time.

It didn't make any sense.

Sasuke hated feelings for these exact reasons; they mixed horribly and if you allowed them to they controlled you, they wrapped around tightly and suffocated you. He absolutely loathed them.

It wasn't long until he realised his feet were unconsciously walking towards to the Hokage tower. He had to speak to his old Sensei regarding a few things, though he wasn't exactly sure how he felt about that. He was planning on avoiding the Rokudaime as of late, but he guessed that would have to wait.

There were more important matters at hand.

* * *

**And that is the end of the chapter! Thank you all again for your nice reviews and even though some are not so pleasant it's the other ones that make me smile!**

**Also I want to thank and also introduce you to my new beta Sunny! aka ThePeridot0814 (check out her stories they are amazing!) Without her this wouldn't be half as good as it is now, so spread some love over to her! She puts up with all my terrible grammer and she is really encouraging, seriously she is amazing!**

**Concerning the first meeting don't worry Sasuke will warm up to them, this chapter is more of an introduction on how Sasuke thinks and feels about the things around him, the next chapter will be even better I promise! I just don't believe in love at first sight, I think it's more of an overtime thing until you don't even realize that you've fallen in love and that's what I am going to try to portray.**

**_On a side note; no I did not label the pairings incorrectly, it fully states that Sasuke and Hinata are the main pairing hence the brackets around their names also Naruto and Sakura are also up there because they are important characters in the story, so if you don't like my labeling that's fine but I'm not changing it for anybody. This will be the first and also the last time I address this issue so please don't comment with things like this. Don't like the pairing don't read it is as simple as that._**

**Sorry to those of you who had no part in those reviews but it just had to be said. Anyway, until next time!**

**-Kae**


	4. Starting Point

**Chapter 3: Starting Point**

_"Some people never say the words 'I love you'. It's not their style to be so bold. Some people never say those words: 'I love you' But, like a child, they're longing to be told." - Paul Simon_

* * *

He didn't bother knocking as he barged into Kakashi's office. Not surprised in the slightest, he had found the Hokage reading his favourite book instead of finishing the important paperwork that cluttered his desk.

"Sasuke, I see you've finally made it." Kakashi's visible eye smiled at him, putting his beloved book down to address the rancorous man in front of him.

Shooting him a baleful glare, Sasuke sighed, his fingers massaging the bridge of his nose as he realized he had walked right into his former sensei's trap. "You had been expecting me? Figures…"

Grinning curiously, the Hokage placed his folded hands underneath his chin, his elbows connected to the newly made wooden desk that sat at the center of his office.

After accepting the title of Hokage, Kakashi Hatake took it upon himself to renew everything in the village including the monumental Hokage tower, stating that they needed to upgrade for increased village workability. Everything was updated, from large compounds and houses to small village shops and regime buildings.

The new tower retained its old design, but with newer materials. The scent of multiple layers of paint could still be smelled dwindling through Konohagakure's atmosphere. The only thing that really changed about the edifice was the office, with its new marble tiles, neoteric wooden desk, and updated library, it was, Sasuke had to admit, a practical space.

Clearing his throat, Kakashi once again smiled politely at the Uchiha. "Took you long enough, I figured you'd come running over here as soon as you held an inkling of an idea."

"Kakashi, I don't-"

"It was for your own benefit. Tell me, Sasuke, how do you feel right now?" Raising a thin brow, the Rukodaime examined the young man in front of him, awaiting a response.

Sasuke looked to Kakashi quizzically after a pregnant, tense pause had passed. "What do you mean 'how do I feel?'"

Kakashi's eyes analyzed his student's steel gaze, immersed in their crazed unfathomable depths. The silver-haired Hokage was searching for something, though what that something was, remained unclear.

Getting weary of his teachers probing eyes, Sasuke snapped his fingers to get the Hokage to halt his actions.

"What?" Sasuke snarled through clenched teeth. The Rokudaime's antics were beginning to nerve him. "What is it Kakashi?"

"Never mind, Sasuke-kun," The Hokage beamed at his student. Sasuke gritted his teeth in annoyance, his eye twitching as he tried to calm himself. If there was ever a time he had regretted not killing Kakashi Hatake, it was now.

"Kakashi…" he warned through gritted teeth, his patience was getting sickeningly thin. Sasuke looked down at his clenched fists, rigid at his sides, before his eyes met the concerned and worrisome expression painted on Kakashi's face.

"Why… why would you arrange for that? That is not your place to pry into!" Sasuke slammed his palms onto the wooden desk, creating a loud thump as the young man leaned in to hiss to his former sensei. Kakashi seemed indifferent, merely arching a gray brow questioningly.

For several, tremendous seconds, Kakashi's single visible eye dared Sasuke to continue on with his argument, the latter snarling at him. A small crack dispelled the silence before both looked at the desk where Sasuke gripped, small splinters freeing themselves from their home and lodging into the avenger's palms.

Sasuke snatched his hands back, narrowing his gaze at the Hokage. He spoke in a dangerous low voice, warning his former sensei, "You were lucky this time Kakashi,"

Sasuke abruptly turned on his heel, heavy steps pausing at the doorway of the spacious room. "Next time, I won't be so merciful,"

"I'm not looking for mercy Sasuke. You know what I'm looking for, and you're just deciding to feign ignorance."

Sasuke didn't look back as he released a bitter exhale, disappearing all together from Kakashi.

He began travelling from the rooftops; he wasn't in the mood for any social interaction, especially from his other teammates. Naruto and Sakura were in no doubt searching for him.

Expeditiously moving through the village, he found himself stopping near a vacant training spot where he spotted a small little clearing and stationed himself there.

Lowering himself to the ground, he found himself beginning to calm instantly; the tranquility of his surroundings dragging his anger to a rout. He lay there idly has he tried to clear the pandemonium from his mind.

Sasuke very much enjoyed nature; he appreciated the fact that the weather could change from a bright azure sky, adorned with golden specks of sunlight, to a stormy, almost melancholic, overcast of chaotic rain. He and the sky were analogous; both possessed the curse of rapidly altering demeanors. Sasuke was frivolous with his emotions and he considered that to be his greatest flaw, his Achilles heel. He was certain that one day it would be the death of him.

Letting out an empty sigh, he held his head back to ponder at the clouds and began to think. He had almost lost himself to his emotions before and he vowed he would never let it happen again. He wouldn't give anyone the chance to manipulate him as most people tended to do. He couldn't even remember the amount of times people thought for him, feeding him lies to get him to do their hidden agendas.

Konoha did it, Orochimaru did it; even his own brother did it. He couldn't trust anybody.

"Am I that susceptible?"

Saying the thought aloud to no one in particular, Sasuke heard a rather suspicious sound coming from one of the bushes, feeling like someone had indeed answered him. Abruptly standing to his feet, he expertly reached for the katana that he always kept strapped to his back, ready for the prospect of battle.

"Who's there?" Sasuke asked dangerously.

When there came no sign of an answer he angrily stalked towards the bush; a menacing look on his face.

He swore, if it turned out to be Naruto or Sakura…

Pushing back the leaves that were now in front of him he was surprised to find none other than Suigetsu Hozuki looking up at him, a sheepish grin on the bastards face.

"Oh! Hey Sasuke, didn't see you there!" Suigetsu loudly proclaimed as he got up from the ground proceeding to dust himself off. "Long time no see!"

Astounded, Sasuke didn't know whether to kill the man for disturbing him or kill him for acting so oblivious to the whole situation. He could practically smell the fear that was emanating off of the idiot.

"So, how've you been?" The albino haired man patted the Uchiha on the back, an air of heedless and defiant disinterest surrounding him. He really didn't care about Sasuke's past and was one of the few people who were able to say whatever he wanted around him without a care. Needless to say; the Hozuki had a lot of guts.

"Suigetsu, what're you doing here?" Sasuke queried in a low voice; he couldn't recall the last time he saw anybody from his former group.

After the war had ended and he had served his sentence, Sasuke had decided to become a ronin ninja. He went travelling from village to village for various mission requests with the rest of team Taka. For a while it had been satisfying, but as always, the Uchiha wanted more. He wanted to be pushed to his limits and tested to the highest degree and, unfortunately for Taka, being a rogue ninja just wasn't cutting it for him any longer, so he disassociated himself from the group and headed to Konoha.

Needless to say, the other members had been devastated, especially Karin and Juugo. Even after their unremitting pleading, Sasuke had still opted to return to his previous home and further his training there. Without him as their leader, he expected them to fade away and follow in his example of returning to their respective villages, but much to his disbelief, they remained allegiant to each other and decided to continue together as a team, with or without him. It had taken a whole year for them to forgive him, and once in a while they came to the village to catch up with him and search for work. That usually came with a two week notice prior to their actual appearance, so he was definitely alarmed when he had found Suigetsu.

Said man awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck as he looked at the Uchiha uneasily. "Well you see, lately we've been having a bit of a problem..."

He chuckled humourlessly, his voice slightly higher than usual due to nervousness.

"What do you mean by 'problem'?" Sasuke crossed his arms across his chest, shooting him an unimpressed look. If they expected his help, they most certainly weren't going to get it.

Hardening his gaze, Suigetsu shook his head dismissively. "That's private team business and for the Hokage's ears only."

As Sasuke narrowed his eyes and arched his brow, Suigetsu realized his mistake. He defensively put his hands in front of his face, shaking them for damage control. "It's nothing, really!"

"Your presence is irritating," Sasuke deadpanned as he turned, not wanting to be around the insolent man any longer. Even when he was the leader of the group, the idiot barely showed him any respect; out of everyone in the group Sasuke disliked him the most.

"Well I can't really do anything about that!" Suigetsu called as he ran after him, much to Sasuke's chagrin.

Walking in a slightly comfortable silence, they had made it to the centre of the village where an annoyed Team Seven and contented Team Taka were making their way towards him. Letting out a sigh he frowned at the pathetic sight, what else could possibly go wrong that day?

"Sasuke-kun, where have you been?!" Sakura hissed as she shot him a look of exasperation. "We've been looking all over for you!"

Not bothering to answer her, he looked to his old team and nodded his head in greeting.

"Sasuke it's nice to see you again." Juugo smiled. He had always been the least annoying of the bunch; Sasuke almost didn't mind his company at all.

"Juugo, Karin." He acknowledged, his voice remaining impassive. "What are you doing here?"

Karin quickly opened her mouth to answer him,but was stopped when a peeved Suigetsu nudged her and glared coldly. Shooting Sasuke a knowing look he rolled his eyes and shook his head in disbelief. "Sasuke, I told you already. It's for the Hokage's ears only."

"Whatever."

He walked away, ignoring the calls of all of his teammates. He had left Kakashi's office wanting to be alone, not have a team play date. He only hoped no one had taken to following him.

As he was on his peaceful stroll, he spotted the Hyuuga girl on his team; she was sitting by herself at a dango stand. Looking up, she met his gaze shyly and quickly looked away, only to hide behind her curtain of thick bangs and look back up curiously. She looked like she was contemplating something as she stared at him, her eyes slightly disturbing Sasuke. As he was about to turn away, she hastily waved her hand in an awkward half-wave, signaling him to join her.

Not knowing what to do, Sasuke froze. He was rarely invited to accompany anyone. After he had made it clear that he wanted nothing to do with Konoha, it had taken him a whole year before he was even comfortable going to the ramen stand with the rest of Team Seven, although he always left early regardless. So for this woman, to suggest such a thing was incredulous.

Sending a disgusted grimace in her direction, he turned away and ignored her. He didn't even take three steps until he felt a light tug on his sleeve. Getting ready to hit whoever dared to touch him, he stopped himself when he caught the thin wrist of the same Hyuuga girl.

"What?" He snarled at her, letting go of her.

Nervously, her eyes flitted from his to her shoes as she twisted her hands in what seemed like a nervous tick. "Just, please stay, Uchiha-san,"

Against his better judgment, he decided to spare the girl at least one minute of his time and followed her back. Joining her at the table, he raised his brow expectantly, startling the woman seated tensely in front of him. "Well?"

She looked up from her ostensibly stimulating hands and to his cobalt scrutiny, a small grimace that Sasuke noted was masked, as a smile found its way to pinch her pink lips.

"It's just, I always see you by yourself, and I thought…" She cut herself off, looking away from him. Sasuke exhaled irritably.

"Would you stop that?" He spat, aggravated by her fleeting looks. She couldn't even look at him for five seconds! Sasuke had to wonder how this incredulous woman was even considered to be ANBU material.

"Sorry." She mumbled, wringing her hands in the process. He frowned, he didn't know why he had bothered to entertain her company in the first place; she was quite boring. He was about to leave, but was stopped as her voice called out for his attention.

"I saw it." She announced, although Sasuke had no idea as to what she was referring to. Seeming to sense his confusion, she thankfully elaborated on her previous statement. "I saw what was engraved on the rock you were staring at earlier."

He involuntarily hissed as he glowered at her. "What?"

"I was curious as to what you were staring at for so long, so I decided to take a look. A-at f-first…" she stuttered, clearing her throat as she dared herself to say it again. "At first I saw nothing but then, as I looked closer I noticed it; the dragon with the Uchiha crest on its chest."

"What are you getting at, Hyuuga?" Sasuke growled, aggravated. Was this all she had to say? This was why Sasuke hated socializing.

"Nothing, I was just trying to start conversation…" Hinata spoke smally, this time, playing with a thick lock of hair that framed her face.

A pause.

"Well, you're quite terrible at it." He deadpanned, unimpressed. This woman was something else entirely.

Frustrated, Sasuke ran a hand through his thick hair. He heard her gasp in front of him and looked up curiously. "What?"

"Your hand," She ushered to his palm, "You have splinters in it,"

Sasuke held dangerously still as the Hyuuga woman's soft hands feathered over his callused, larger ones. Her thin fingers wrapped over his palm as she inspected each and every individual splinter that had made its way to nestle in Sasuke's skin.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes before snatching his limb away from her, glaring harshly. "Don't touch me,"

Hinata visibly swallowed thickly before her eyes fell back onto neatly folded fingers, this time, adding a nervous lip bite, much to Sasuke's annoyance.

"A-ano…Shikamaru-kun will be here soon," Hinata spoke quietly, her face heating up in embarrassment. Sasuke rolled his eyes at the woman. She couldn't tell him that earlier?

Hinata may have been feeling awkward, but Sasuke took a deep breath before relaxing slightly. She appeared to relax on her own; her shoulders slumping as she pushed the locks of hair that framed her face uselessly. They fell into a comfortable silence, watching people go back and forth in front of the dango stand.

Feeling a bit famished, he nonchalantly cleared his throat to get her attention.

Hinata's pearly eyes met his curiously before a strangely unhesitant smile appeared at her lips again, "Yes, Sasuke-san?"

"How long will this take?" He quickly looked away, more so in frustration than embarrassment, praying his stomach wouldn't betray him.

Hinata blinked twice before her eyes lit up in understanding. A polite smile spread onto her lips as she called over a waiter, the same smile still plastered on her face.

Sasuke studied Hinata as she ordered for him. She seemed different from when she used to hang around Naruto post-war.

She was a simple woman who didn't choose to wear flashy or revealing clothy, but not unattractive. Far from it, actually. Her inky, midnight waterfall of silky hair contrasted nicely against her moon-like face.

She looked mature; her features were sharp and angular, but the glow that radiated off of her huge eyes spelled out obvious innocence, giving the impression of naiveté. Her body was the exact opposite; Sasuke could tell she hid a more than modest body underneath the unflattering ensemble she adorned. She was fairly petite for her age, but he figured that was an advantage she could use in battle.

He hadn't noticed how long he had been staring at her until another person had entered in his peripheral view.

"Uchiha-san you're here." Shikamaru accredited, his head nodding in approval. "Then we can get this started."

Raising a thin brow, Sasuke switched his attention from the woman to the Nara. "Get what started?"

Sitting down beside Hinata, Shikamaru placed one hand comfortably on his cheek, his head lolling to the side; he practically looked like the embodiment of laziness.

"Our plan to pass ANBU."

* * *

**Yay! Finally some SasuHina action, can you sense the impending romance, can you, CAN YOU?**

**Alright first and foremost I would like to thank my lovely amazingly awesome beta Sunny a.k.a ThePeridot0814! You guys better check out her stories they are awesome. A suggestion on where to start? 10 Days it's NaruHina sweet, short, and simple, and not to mention beautifully written, seriously. CHECK IT OUT!**

**Now for my usual explanation of the chapter; Sasuke is finally going to be warming up to his team the next few chapters ahead, this was more of a set-up for the main plot line and also the sub-plot. You'll be surprised with what I have cooked up for you, who's ready for some kick-ass action? Also yes, Kakashi might be an asshole, but he's a caring one, so it doesn't matter. Sasuke is still bent up on emotions... poor kid. And what's this? He actually finds Hinata, bearable!**

**But seriously though this chapter was a pain in the ass to write, so many times I wanted to give up but alas I thought of you my dear readers and how I would let you all down (not to mention how I would get an ass-kicking from Sunny!) Anyways this chapter is all dedicated to you because without you guys this probably would have never gotten out. Thank you all for the nice reviews, you guys are so sweet and continue to make my day when I read those.**

**Next chapter is the ANBU exams, get ready... there is going to be some serious character development up in here.**


	5. Questions

**Chapter 4: Questions**

_"Ask me no questions, and I'll tell you no lies." - Oliver Goldsmith_

_"He explained to me with great insistence that every question possessed a power that did not lie in the answer." ― Elie Wiesel, Night_

* * *

Sasuke Uchiha hid the discomfort of wearing a cold, hard metal clamp around his wrist better than the original Team Seven. Ordered to be put on by Kakashi, people had complained a made a big deal about how the trio would have an advantage in comparison to the rest, but it did little to satisfy Sasuke's qualms. He didn't like having these hindrances on his body at all; they reduced his level down to genin. He was nearly exhausted and out of breath already. Half of his energy force gone because a bunch of ninja were anxious of some thorny competition. He considered them all to be absolutely pathetic; how they even managed to gain the title of shinobi was beyond him.

"Sensei, I don't like wearing these cuffs…they're so uncomfortable!" Naruto whined as he testily twisted his wrist around in the bracelet, pouting. Sasuke rolled his eyes; Naruto's immaturity was nearly pitiful.

Shrugging his shoulders, Kakashi reluctantly glanced up from his book and to the blond. He looked blankly at him, shrugging, "There's nothing I can do Naruto." He apathetically answered. "That's just the way it is."

Shaking her head, Sakura nudged the blond, a small frown creasing her forehead as she looked around warily. "Shut up, Naruto! You're embarrassing us." She hissed as she motioned between her and the Uchiha. Rather than point out how she, too, was just as embarrassing, Sasuke opted to say nothing and focused on his thoughts instead.

After the sealing was done, they would take the written exams, and then continue on with their teams to enter the Forest of Death. He was surprised that they hadn't permanently shut it down after what had happened beforehand, but Konoha was never one to admit faults.

Even though half of his chakra reserves were sealed, he still wasn't going to lose to anybody. Out there in the forest, there were no rules. Everything was fair game and nothing was foul; he could kill a man if he so pleased, not that he ever would. Konoha would surely throw him right back in jail if he were to commit a most heinous crime. So, he would do as Shikamaru advised them to. If he was correct, he did remember the Nara being quite intelligent during their academy days, his smarts would surely be advantageous to his plan.

But that Hyuuga...how could she benefit him? He didn't really remember her from his academy days, and she didn't seem all that impressive. Could someone so unobtrusive be of any use to him? Kakashi had told him that the teams were made based on compatibility, and she didn't particularly annoy him either, but what good would that do in the heat of battle? Feeling a light tap on his shoulder, he turned to meet the bubble-gum haired member of his trio.

"Sasuke-kun, are you okay?" She asked as her emerald irises scrutinized his features, peeving him to no end.

"I'm fine." He responded brusquely. In reality, he was far from fine, but he wouldn't let her know that. Not that it mattered anyway, Sakura could always read him, she just never acted on her findings and left him be, something which he greatly appreciated.

"Okay…" she smiled uncertainly, her gaze refusing to waver off of him. "Well you're done now, so you can leave if you want."

Nodding his head, he swiftly left. He wanted to get the first half of the exams done quickly. Now all of his hard years of training and searching for power would finally be tested. In truth, he knew that he was capable beyond ANBU rank, even Hokage rank, but he had to start somewhere if he ever wanted to earn the title. He had to get the villagers to trust him, and if becoming an ANBU to protect their precious Konoha was the only way, then he would do it.

Walking through the Hokage tower, he could feel the penetrating stares from villagers and fought the urge to curse unpleasant obscenities; he was never one to like the attention. As he made his way outside, he was surprised to find the Hyuuga woman patiently waiting for him. Almost instinctively, he found himself making his way towards her until they were face to face.

"Are you ready to go Uchiha-san?" she asked, her signature unsettling smile spread on her lips. He wondered why she always smiled when she never meant it.

There was a pregnant pause in their one-sided conversation.

"Why do you do that?" The words tumbled out of his mouth without his permission, filling him up with regret as he began walking away to save the remnants of his dignity. He had merely meant to think that question and not actually say it, but somehow, along the lines, he had just blurted out the first thing that came to mind. He shuddered, that was something Naruto would do, not him. Impulsivity was something he overcame a long, long time ago.

Hearing footsteps echoing loudly against the pavement, he turned around to find her frantically trying to keep up with him. Sighing, he slowed down his movements just enough for her to catch her breath; he wasn't completely heartless.

Putting a hand to her chest she looked up to him, flustered and smiled largely, "Thank you." She gratefully acknowledged.

Rolling his eyes and looking away, he muttered a small 'whatever'. Sparing a glance in her direction Sasuke noted that her content expression was once again a fictitious semblance. She was a lot like him in a sense, choosing to hide her true feelings behind a mask; he concluded that it was the reason he didn't find her irritating.

A comfortable silence ensued for the rest of the walk. Sasuke was more than satisfied with the tranquility, it was a break from being constantly surrounded by noise and noisy people, but this woman was different. She was calm and subdued a welcomed change in his surroundings.

He had almost forgotten that she was accompanying him until he heard her small voice straining to get through the daily noisy bustle.

"What?" He glanced in her direction, a sharp brow raised in question.

Promptly looking away from his concentrated attention, she began to look ahead at the village in front of her, a serene expression softening her gentle features.

"I was just asking if you were ready." Her mellifluous voice mingled seamlessly with the wind, a euphonious concoction.

He scoffed at her naïveté, a scowl managing to find its way across his lips. "Of course I am. Was that supposed to be another conversation starter?"

Embarrassed, the woman snapped her gaze from the man beside her to her feet, her countenance clearly ashamed by her words. A rather awkward silence began to engulf the rest of the walk, and Sasuke was once again reminded of one of the reasons he avoided talking to others.

As the quiet continued to elongate, the Uchiha was left with nothing but his own thoughts and there was a storm brewing. Was he truly ready for this? There was a difference between being physically and mentally ready, and he was more than physically capable but mentally…

Knocked out of his reverie by a loud sigh, he turned and noticed the Nara's lazy gaze placed on him and glared; he had a feeling this would be a regular occurrence with the supine shinobi.

"Uchiha-san, Hinata-san, you've finally made it," The dark haired man stood up slightly, eyes drifting between the two.

"Good afternoon, Shikamaru-kun." Hinata greeted him with a friendly smile. "I'm sorry we took so long…you predicted right; Uchiha-san is wearing the chakra bracelet."

Nodding his head in understanding, a hand went up to his chin in contemplation, "I see… looks like we're going to use plan B."

"It seems that way…" Hinata's voice sounded uncertain, Sasuke, however, had no doubt that the Nara's plan would work. He had proven himself earlier with the chakra chains and if the Nara was anything other than lethargic, it was perspicacious.

"Don't look so worried, Hinata-san," Shikamaru smiled reassuringly at the young woman upon sensing her nervousness. "Everything will turn out alright. Have a little faith in me, alright?"

Averting her gaze immediately, a light blush dusted her cheeks a rosy color while Sasuke fought the urge to roll his eyes and walk away from his teammates.

In the distance, he could just make out the ANBU headquarters up ahead and slightly sped up his pace; the faster he got the test over with, the closer he was to getting the villagers to acknowledge him.

With each step, Sasuke realized he was literally one step closer to changing his life completely. No longer would his valued privacy exist. He had refused missions for so long after he had gotten out of confinement, and had only become a jonin a little over a month ago. Was he really ready for this?

In truth, he knew the only thing holding him back was the fact that this was ANBU. This was the same organization that ordered his clans untimely demise. His brother Itachi was used as nothing more than a mere tool by them, cursed to live his life as a lie, pretending to be the heartless criminal he once perceived him to be. They had taken his Uchiha name and soiled it with their lies and deception.

He was sure there were more faceless victims who had shared the same fate as him, but there was no guarantee that it wouldn't happen again. Was he able to blindly obey orders like his brother had before him?

Could he really be used as nothing more but a tool to get the mission done?

"Uchiha-san?"

Turning towards his left he accidentally met the concerned look flickering in the backs of the Hyuuga heiress' pupiless eyes. He immediately felt the strong urge to look away, a feeling completely foreign to him. There was never a time the stubborn Uchiha backed down from a single glance; no, he was much better than that. Even Orochimaru's reminiscent of a snake was not as overwhelming as the woman beside him. Her eyes were unnerving; they reflected everything they took in, a mirror of sorts.

Everything she saw, he could also see emulated through her eyes and what he saw was himself; erratic and uncertain. He wondered if that was how everyone else also perceived him. He felt nothing but acrimony towards the thought, if this was how they saw him, then they all regarded him as frail and fragile, someone they would have to take care of. He wouldn't let anyone look at him the way his teammate was looking at him now ever again. He would take the test to ensure that those looks desisted for the sake of the Uchiha name.

He wasn't going to be inferior to anyone.

"Uchiha-san?" She asked hesitantly again. Coming to his senses, Sasuke noticed that his hand was gripping her shoulder without even realizing it, and immediately released as if her pale flesh had burst into flames. Turning away from her discombobulated form and towards the building in front of him, he left her blinking in wonder.

"I'm fine."

Once again he had lied, but this time he would make damn sure that even he would believe his dishonesty.

Entering the building, he expected there to be a test before they were actually permitted to take the written examination, at least that's what had happened when he had taken the chunnin exams with Team 7. Konoha must've decided to cut the unnecessary parts since they were pushed right into the test.

Upon arrival, he could see the many faces of different shinobi, a few prominent, familiar faces standing out in his line of vision. There was Naruto with his teammates, talking passionately with a deep frown creased on his forehead as if they were plotting, while Sakura had an enthusiastic fist and a cheery smile on her face as she encouraged her team to do the best. She tilted her head slightly, noticing Sasuke and excitedly waved him over, much to his dismay.

Sighing, he reluctantly trudged over to his old teammates. Even if he didn't go to them, they would eventually come to him. It was then that he noticed they had also brought along Sai with them. How did that make any sense? Sai was already in ANBU.

Looking over, he noticed that his new teammates hadn't paused to join him and were now conversing with their respective genin teams.

"Hello, Sasuke-san." Sai's unusual smile was aimed in his direction, his head in a slight bow. Scowling, Sasuke gave the man a pointed look. He had made it known that he was not a fan of the pale shinobi, and he was sure that Sai wasn't completely stupid when it came to reading people's emotions.

Choosing to ignore him, Naruto drew away his attention.

"I bet we'll do great on the test!" Naruto's voice boomed, laced with endless enthusiasm. He really wondered where the blond stored all that energy.

"Oh, Naruto…" Sakura shook her head at her teammate hopelessly, despite a small smile on her face, reminiscent of one a sister would give her brother.

Sasuke had remembered a time when the two had dated each other. It hadn't been such an initial shock to him as it was for everyone else; he always knew that the otherwise reluctant kunoichi harboured some kind of feeling for the blond, she just wasn't sure what. In the end they had ended on peaceful terms and had decided to stay friends, something that Sasuke had also seen coming.

He recalled the day that Naruto had told him they had broken up. Unforutunately, it was a boring breakup. Naruto wasn't even bawling or crying or sobbing, something like that would've at least amused Sasuke. But no, he took it extremely well, even joking about it at some point. Not to mention, both Sakura and Naruto moved on. Within the next few months, Sakura had delved into another relationship (this time with Sai-as predicted, it failed. She later on admitted to gossiper of a best friend, Ino, that her heart would always lie with Sasuke) and Naruto had finally gotten a chance to begin formally dating Hinata.

Sasuke remembered that time well; when Naruto and Hinata started dating, everybody would ignore everything in the past just to admire the two of them together. It was no secret that she bore a huge infatuation on Naruto, and if it wasn't clear enough, she declared it out loud while fighting Pain. They were the it couple. Everybody could see them getting married, having kids and growing old together.

So when they broke up so quietly it was almost impossible to tell. Hinata most likely told her loud-mouth friend when she was questioned why Naruto wasn't with her anymore. Needless to say, nearly everybody was shocked.

Sasuke didn't know what went down in that relationship, nor did Naruto delve upon it either despite the closeness of the duo. But whatever happened, it must have been ugly.

Hinata Hyuuga avoided Naruto Uzumaki as if her life depended on it.

Thinking about relationships once again brought his thoughts full circle: back to himself. Sasuke never really had the time to date to begin with, but no girl was ever worth his time. So he had bared the past couple of years relatively alone. He didn't mind it though.

Loneliness was something he was accustomed to.

"Sasuke-kun?" Sakura's high pitched soprano rang out to him, he had spaced out yet again. Sakura watched him concernedly, her eyes almost matching the Hyuuga's as they studied him carefully.

"I'm fine." He snapped brusquely. The last thing he needed was concern. Why? Because concern was for those who weren't strong enough to mask over they're feelings.

Her bubblegum tresses bounced as she nodded her head, no doubt not believing a word he said, as she stared at him a while longer before changing the conversation.

"So where are your teammates?" She queried, a charming smile adorning her lips. With an indifferent expression, he motioned to the two behind him conversing with the other jonin from their year.

"Let's go say hello." Sai suggested with his signature sly smirk, already walking towards the two groups. Shrugging her shoulders, Sakura followed after him and not soon after, Sasuke was left with an uncertain looking Naruto.

"Maybe, I shouldn't go over there." Naruto chuckled nervously, his eyes quickly flitting from the ground to the Hyuuga heiress. Sasuke merely arched an indifferent brow.

"Who cares?"

Confused azure irises flashed in his direction, diving right into a pair of onyx. "What?" Naruto asked not quite understanding the concept of the otherwise random statement.

"I said, who cares?" He emphasized the last part of the sentence, hoping for it to leave an impact. Naruto merely stared at Sasuke blankly. Sighing, Sasuke snapped his fingers to get the Uzumaki's attention. He always felt a sense of obligation towards Naruto and Sakura, Naruto especially. Without those two, he didn't know where he would've been, and even though he didn't act like it he actually somewhat cared for them, they were practically the only family he had left. But, that was something that was best left unspoken.

"Who cares about what?" By now Naruto sounded desperate; Sasuke figured that the need to know was eating him inside.

"Anything," He deadpanned. "Why do you still care? It's in the past. Nothing you can do about it now." As if further emphasizing his point he glanced in the direction of the fair skinned kunoichi, knowing Naruto eyes were following his line of vision.

"Because… just because." Naruto swallowed thickly before snapping back down to the ground.

"Because of what?" Sasuke coaxed; if there was one thing he knew, it was that the past was a terrifying disease that ate at you until you were hollow and nothing more than a reminder of your old self.

"Because none of your business." Naruto dropped his cheery-happy-go-lucky façade to pointedly glare at the ebony haired man, a frown adorning his usually bright features. His face softened as he realized his harshness before sighing. "Listen, I appreciate what you're trying to do-

"But?"

"But this isn't something you can just move on from." Naruto shifted his attention from the woman of discussion back to Sasuke, a slight frown on his face. "Besides, you're one to talk aren't you?"

Sasuke eyed the man in front of him, his eyes reduced to angry slits. "No one ever lets me forget it," he retorted somewhat cynically, watching as the Uzumaki's eyes lit up in understanding.

"Teme, I-

"Not everyone is going to like you." With that being said, Sauke turned on his heel and walked away before the conversation got any further. He wasn't one to give advice, but when he did, he expected someone to be at least grateful for it.

Distancing himself from everybody, he awaited the beginning of the exams. Hopefully, they wouldn't take too long to begin because he was quite certain he couldn't take much more of the socialization.

As if answered by Kami himself, the doors to the examination opened and revealed Might Gai, a smile accompanying his face and his body fixed into that same stupid pose in all the glory his hideous sense of style could muster.

"Alright!" His voice boomed, the smile never leaving his lips, "Time to get this thing started, everyone get in and take your seats!"

Sasuke as he felt an impending headache begin to loom over him; this would surely get annoying as time went on. With any luck, the questions would be unproblematic and he could get out of there early.

Feeling a hand on his shoulder, he looked to his right and spotted a rather ecstatic Naruto, his signature wide grin right in place. "Good luck, teme!"

Shrugging out of the blonde's grip, he walked on ahead of him, calling over his shoulder. "Don't need it."

As he entered the room, he could see the nervousness of some of the participants. Spotting his team, he walked over and took a seat next to the Nara.

"Gambatte." The Hyuuga woman smiled on his other side, a look of encouragement overtaking her soft and gentle features. Nodding his head in her direction, he turned his attention to the front, awaiting the signal.

"Good luck, may your youth shine bright within you!"

Rolling his eyes, Sasuke took this as the indication to commence and began. Now the real test had begun.

The exam itself was quite simple; there were questions that asked what the trajectory of a thrown kunai would be with given measurements and others regarding sayings in the shinobi handbook. He was already halfway done when he had stumbled across a rather thought provoking inquiry.

'Would you do anything to complete the mission and insure its completion?'

There it was again, that same question. In all honesty, he wasn't sure what he would do, he couldn't even answer the question when he was the one asking himself. He was sure that the others had put the affirmative, but he didn't particularly agree with the answer.

He was sure that they didn't realize ANBU missions were on a different scale than regular missions from the village. ANBU included missions such espionage, assassinations, murder, and of course, massacres. Sasuke felt his heart drop a little to his stomach.

ANBU wasn't a joke. It was the real thing.

So would he be able to just agree with something without a second thought, would he be able to be just as submissive as Itachi was before him?

Probably not.

He looked down at his paper and the answer he had written. It most likely wasn't what they were looking for, but then again, he never was one to care what others thought. Screening his answers one last time, he nodded his head in approval and went forward to hand back the test. He was greeted by Shikamaru after the avenger had been ushered out of the room. Shikamaru's lazy stare had shifted over from the Yamanaka woman he was talking with to him.

"Uchiha-san, I see you're finished. Looks like Hinata's the last one,"

"Hn."

He watched as the Nara had leaned against the wall once more. The languid shinobi had been the very first one to finish the test not even ten minutes after they began; he was a sharp one indeed.

Taking the same initiative as his teammate Sasuke leaned against the wall and waited for his female teammate to finish as well.

After half an hour the flushed face of the Hyuuga emerged from the door along with a couple of others.

"Gomenasai, it took me a long time to finish, you must have waited for a long time." She breathlessly heaved, a frown marring her usually peaceful features.

"It's okay, Hinata-san. I was able to catch a nap in the meanwhile." Nara joked, a lopsided smile accompanying it.

Shaking her head she let out a stifled giggle at the lethargic man. "Shikamaru-san, don't be silly."

Letting out a sigh, Sasuke glared at his teammates, these two would drive him mad with their pointless banter he was sure.

"Oh, Uchiha-san, how do you think you did?" She queried a genuine look of interest crossing her features, causing her to appear childish.

"Just fine." He responded indifferently.

After the small exchange, the trio waited for the others to be finished so they could move on to the next portion of the exams. Sasuke was sure Naruto was in there, fretting about everything, and allowed a small ghost of a smirk to claim his features. If there was one thing he held over the blond in terms of being a great leader, it was his intelligence. He knew he would be fully capable to handle all the paperwork the Hokage was expected to oversee.

This exam was going to be a defining moment for the both of them, he was sure. Naruto was like a brother to him, but Sasuke wasn't afraid to toss that aside for the sake of claiming the precious title of strongest in the village. Now the Uzumaki was his competition, the only person standing in the way of his final goal.

He was now a threat.

And the only way to deal with threats was to take them down. And that was what Sasuke planned to do.

The ANBU exams were graded on a point scale based on things such as stealth, intelligence, strength and so on. Sasuke's plan was simple, to be ranked as number one on that scale. There was only a few people that could interfere: Haruno Sakura; she was never to be underestimated and he was sure that this time around, she would be one of the strong contenders for number one. Nara Shikamaru was another, though that one didn't matter since they were on the same team and they were ranked by their squads and not individually, and last but not least, Uzumaki Naruto.

He was a tricky one. Even though he wasn't the sharpest kunai, Naruto made up for that with his rather clever and unusual schemes and his determination that could last forever. He was not to be underestimated in the slightest, those who did were proven wrong in due time, Sasuke himself was an example of the influence Naruto had. So he needed to give it his all or nothing would come to fruitition.

The doors to the examination room opened and out emerged the leftover shinobi and, not surprisingly, Naruto was among them.

"Alright, you youthful bunch have just passed the first part of your exams!"

A cheer erupted from the crowd as cries of relief were heard.

"I wouldn't get too excited if I were you."

Craning his neck to look around, Sasuke spotted the owner of the voice and frowned. There, in all his battle scar glory, stood Ibiki Morino, head of Konoha's Torture and Interrogation Force. He was just as he had remembered him to be from his genin days, although there seemed to be a few more scars marring his face than before.

Sasuke looked around and saw that everyone else seemed to be stuck in a mixture of both terror and fascination.

"All of you check for your names on the chart behind me and get to your respective gates. From now on, there are no rules and every single one of you are enemies. Anyone who wishes not to participate can leave; just know that those in your squad will also be forced to give up as well." He paused in his speech, awaiting those who chose to leave. Much to Sasuke's surprise most of them stayed, determination written all over their faces.

"You have all just agreed to the terms of this exam, there will be no going back, in ANBU that doesn't exist. Send one teammate over to me to retrieve your gate number, go there and wait for the signal to enter the forest. Understand?"

Sasuke nodded his head, his mind already made up.

Ibiki nodded his head in approval. "Alright then, let's begin."

Sasuke was about to head over there until the Hyuuga princess stopped him. She held a hand up to him, a small grin on her face. "It's okay Uchiha-san, I'll go."

He nodded, but kept his eyes on her as she scurried nimbly up to Ibiki and retrieved their assignment. Her already fair skin had paled upon looking down at the card, nervously flitting back to their group.

"Gate n-number thirty." She looked around nervously.

"Don't worry, I'm sure we'll pass." Shikamaru assured her, noticing her unease.

Sasuke looked between his teammates: these two would be all he had for three days, and hopefully they would exceed his expectations. "Let's get this out of the way."

"Hai." The petite woman agreed, the Nara nodding in approval. Walking to their assigned gate, Sasuke allowed a small smile to form on his face.

Now the real fun had begun.

* * *

**Yay! Finally a new chapter (with double quotes too!) I'm so excited for the next one. I will finally get to write Jutsu and fights, it's about damn time too! **

**Alright first and foremost let me promote the hell out of my beta, you should have seen the first draft it was horrendous. But thanks to Sunny it turned out great! So check out ThePeridot0814 and read her stories, they are amazing just like her!**

**Time for my usual recap: Well well well, we see some more of the Konoha rookies in their glorious days of young adulthood. So semi-psychotic Sasuke is back as we get into the Hokage story-line some more. Poor Naruto he just can't seem to hold a woman. As for Sakura absolutely no bashing on her part, I wrote her as humanely as possible because let's face it, Sakura is the realest of them all. She reminds me a bit of myself so please don't bash on her, it's perfectly normal to date multiple guys until you are sure what your feelings are. Kakashi makes a small appearance couldn't help myself. And Shikamaru's plan is still a mystery. Don't worry by next chapter you'll know the mastermind plan of the lazy genius soon enough. Character Development, character development all over the place.**

**Not much SasuHina action now, but trust me next chapter, I will be a little evil when it comes to your emotions so prepare your ships, cause we're setting sail!**

**P.S. Ibiki gives me the creeps, always has, always will.**


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